The Way to Santiago de Compostela
Since the 8th Century pilgrims have journeyed from far and wide to visit the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela where, legend has it, the remains of St James (one of Christ's twelve Apostles) rest. There are many paths to this cathedral but the most popular and well known is the Camino Frances that runs from Saint Jean Pied-de-Port on the French/Spanish border some 800km across Northern Spain via Burgos and León to Santiago de Compostela.
Nowadays, over 100,000 people travel every year from all over the world to follow "The Way of St James". The most popular way to cover this long distance is on foot taking approximately 6-8 weeks although many people go back year after year to do it just one week at a time. Obviously this route cannot be travelled by car however a number of pilgrims have done it by horseback or, in more recent years, bicycle.
The route is marked by scallop shells and it is traditional to carry a scallop shell with you while you walk. The shell, with it's many lines coming together to a single point, acting as a metaphor of the many different routes you can take to arrive at Santiago de Compostela. It is also used to symbolise St James since, according to legend, when St James' body was returned to Iberia for burial a storm sank the boat off the Galician coast and the body was lost for a long time. Eventually, the body washed to the shore, no worse for it's excursion into the sea, but completely covered in scallop shells.
There is another version of the legend which says that as the ship carrying St James' body approached the coastline a rider on the beach lost control of his horse which galloped into the sea. By some miracle the horse and rider emerged unscathed from the deep but covered in scallop shells.
Before you set off you should call in to one of the local Spanish churches or Tourist Information Offices to obtain a "Credencial". This document costs a few Euros and resembles a passport. As you follow the route your Credencial is stamped as proof that you have passed through the villages or refuges along the way.
Possession of the Credencial entitles you to stay in the hostals (albergues) and refuges (refugios) along the camino. These are normally priced between 3€ and 30€ per night and have anywhere up to 800 beds. As you pass through the villages you will find that many bars offer a menu for the pilgrims which while limited in choice will provide you with a hearty meal for about 7-10€.
Upon arrival at the Pilgrim's Office in Santiago you present your Credencial (duly stamped) and they will provide you with a certificate of completion, the "Compostela". In order to earn the Compostela you must have walked at least the last 100km (from Sarria) or cycled the last 200km.
The scenery along the walk is breathtaking and due to the differing altitudes and weather conditions you are bound to find it a challenge. It provides you with an opportunity to immerse yourself in the local culture and experience the local cuisine without breaking the bank. It doesn't matter whether you are religious or not, whether you are doing it as a pilgrimage, penance, adventure or just a bit of fun, everyone who has done it says that the journey has changed their lives.
If this is a journey that you would like to undertake but don't want to do alone there is a company called the amaWalkers on the Camino who organise an 18 day guided tour of the most scenic parts of the camino including accommodation.
Finally, why not treat yourself to a night in watching "The Way". It is written and directed by Emilio Estevez and stars Martin Sheen as an American doctor (Tom) who flies to France to collect his son's ashes after he dies in a storm while walking the Camino de Santiago. Tom decides, instead of flying straight back to America, to complete the journey that his son Daniel started. This DVD is due to be released on 31st October 2011, see our link in the carousel above.
